MEPI striving to create something better

30/05/2006

In an interview with Magharebia, Tunis MEPI office Director Peter Mulrean outlined his group's work in promoting freedom in the Middle East.

By Jamel Arfaoui for Magharebia in Tunis – 30/05/06

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Peter Mulrean, director of the Tunis regional office of the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI), said in an interview with Magharebia that he was proud of what had been achieved since he assumed the position in August 2004.

Mulrean added he is striving to create something better. "That is the strategic aim of the initiative. We want a direct means of offering support to civil society organisations and to governments which respond to their citizens in the achieving of freedom and welfare," he said

Mulrean emphasised the initiative is not and will not be a classical development aid programme but rather a means of promoting liberties and openness.

Magharebia: How do you evaluate the results that have been achieved so far?

Mulrean: If we take a look back we will see that we have made significant progress in our work with our local and American partners. The most important of these steps includes the training of journalists from a number of Arab countries, supporting free exchange agreements, prompting educational reform in remote regions, and issuing a report on women's rights.

The initiative has so far funded 225 reform programmes in 14 Arab countries and the Palestinian Territories and has supported more than 70 civil society organisations. More than 75 per cent of the initiative's funding, totalling $293m, goes to supporting civil society and NGOs, and the rest goes to technical aid for reforms.

Magharebia: This is on the programme and funding side of things, but what has changed on the ground?

Mulrean: People have started to demand their rights and political participation, open media and advanced education.

Magharebia: What are the governments' perceptions of the work that is undertaken?

Mulrean: We have to recognise that situations vary from one country to another and accordingly, it is not possible for us to generalise.

Magharebia: But an open debate that took place during last February, in which you announced your readiness to provide technical and material aid requested by independent media in the Arab region, angered many governments and some considered it an intrusion into their internal affairs?

Mulrean: We have no intention of violating the laws of any country, but there has been a misunderstanding regarding this debate, there are some people getting upset before they have understood the nature of the project. What we are trying to do is assist the independent media with good management and good practice, not to mention other technical aid. Ultimately, we are not trying and we do not want to have this media under our control or to generate propaganda for ourselves or others.

Magharebia: Has MEPI thought of building bridges to Libya, especially since Mustapha Al-Zaidi, chairman of the Libyan Revolutionary Committees, said in a statement to Reuters that his country wanted to co-operate with the United States to spread democracy throughout the world?

Mulrean: This was a good sign and on that basis we hope to involve Libyans in current projects in the region. Libya is a brand new territory to us and we look forward to a fruitful partnership with them.